The death of Commander Veros of the Royal Guard was a declaration in itself.
He was the one closest to Princess Adeline—her most beloved shield—and the fact that even he was beheaded meant only one thing.
It was a proclamation: No one present here was safe from her sword.
"Princess! I-It's a misunderstanding!"
Someone already tried to scoop up the water that had long since spilled.
"Haa."
And someone else, realizing their own predetermined end, exhaled a bitter breath.
"...!"
Another turned to flee.
But none of them considered standing their ground and fighting for survival.
Silverna of Caldias, the Guardian of the North.
Baron Logan, the vanguard who led the charge in the war against the Transcendents.
Aside from Helmut, the two sharpest and strongest swords in the kingdom had gathered here.
And so, while everyone else either backed away or froze in place, bracing for their inevitable fate—
Tap. Tap.
One woman calmly stepped forward.
Her every movement, her demeanor—everything about her declared that she was different from the rest.
A noble among nobles.
It seemed an apt comparison—
"But in truth, she's nothing more than a mosquito who led a failed rebellion."
Silverna spat the words as if she were ridding her mouth of something foul, insulting the Blood Demon.
But the Blood Demon simply greeted her with poise, unfazed by the insult.
"Princess Adeline Seraphia Legardia. It's my first time seeing your noble face with my own eyes."
"Your hair is longer than I expected. I thought it would be a bob cut down to your shoulders, and your skin much paler."
The gazes of the two women collided.
They were technically meeting for the first time today—but for the past several days, they had thought of no one but each other, engaging in a mental war.
"…I lost the mind game, it seems."
The Blood Demon admitted defeat honestly.
Perhaps it was because it aligned with the ideal of beauty she pursued—
Or perhaps it was just a desperate attempt to avoid becoming ugly.
"Can this really be called a victory?"
Adeline muttered bitterly.
In the end, she had rounded up everyone—but she had lost many of her closest allies in the process.
Even Commander Veros, struck down by her own hand.
If the commander's daughter hadn't died early from illness, it would have been a clear-cut defeat.
"Whether it's riding the tide, being favored by the heavens, or gathering goodwill—it's all your own ability. You should celebrate your victory."
But for the Blood Demon, it was simply a result she accepted.
In fact, she seemed almost pleased, as if this series of battles had come together like a grand painting from a master's brush.
"A beautiful climax has been completed."
A splendid banquet.
An audience with the highest expectations.
A princess chosen by the gods.
And the Blood Demon who opposed her.
From the Blood Demon's back, bat-like wings soared into the air.
Sharpened fangs and claws gleamed.
Dark crimson energy scattered around her body.
To fight to the very end wasn't a desperate struggle—it was an expression of respect toward the opponent she had danced with across the chessboard for days.
The lights In the banquet hall dimmed.
Her wings spread wide like a curtain falling, casting everything into darkness.
"Have you finished your talk?"
Naturally, it was Silverna who stepped forward first.
Her spear tip shone with brilliant white aura, flying toward the Blood Demon in a flash—driven by a need for revenge.
The spear shot like a meteor, aimed directly at the Blood Demon's heart.
But the trajectory was too straight.
It was caught cleanly—too cleanly—and Silverna ended up losing her weapon.
Usually, Silverna would retrieve her spear and continue the fight with extended control.
But in the Blood Demon's grip, the spear struggled in vain to return to its master, unable to escape her grasp.
"Heh. Isn't that a bit too brainless?"
"Yeah."
At the Blood Demon's mockery, Silverna responded as the mana thread connecting her to the spear tightened like taut string.
"That's just how the North is."
Rather than retrieving the spear, Silverna launched herself at the Blood Demon with terrifying speed.
"We like smashing things head-on."
"...!"
Silverna slammed her fist into the base of the spear she had thrown.
KAAANG!
The stopped spear drove further inward. Like a hammer driving a nail, it dug into the Blood Demon's skin.
If only it were a little stronger—
She could've pierced the heart, but she didn't hesitate.
Silverna ducked down, making way for the sword strike flying in from behind her.
A silver flash of a sword thrust forward.
"...!"
This time, even the Blood Demon couldn't stay still.
She leapt back in haste, scattering food from the banquet as she landed on the table.
A drop of blood ran down her pale neck—clear evidence that her life had been in danger.
"That was… unexpected."
Watching Isaac sheathe his silver sword, Baekseol, the Blood Demon bit her lip slightly.
She had heard that his sword was under repair.
That intel, and the fact that he'd supposedly had no blade for this mission, had given her confidence.
But the sword in his hand looked brand new—its edge razor-sharp.
Not wanting to leave questions behind if death was coming, she asked plainly:
"I heard Frostsilver Ore couldn't be found anymore."
"In the North, that's not true."
Isaac calmly sheathed his sword.
Despite holding only one blade, the pressure he exuded made even the Blood Demon break out in a sweat.
"I got lucky. The only place in the continent that can still obtain Frostsilver Ore… is Evergard."
At Isaac's words, the Blood Demon quickly reached the answer.
"Royal tribute…"
Due to its rarity and value, the northern 'Frost Silver Ore' was never distributed elsewhere—it was exclusively tributed to the royal family.
And now, behind Isaac stood two princesses.
To them, providing 'Frost Silver Ore' was no more than the effort of opening a warehouse door.
"Heh."
Everything falling perfectly into place made the Blood Demon grin, as if watching a play unfold.
"Hey, don't get distracted."
Silverna picked up her spear and charged once more. The Blood Demon, intending to deal with this bothersome northern barbarian first, raised her arm high—but stopped short.
"…!"
A chilling sensation made her pull back, and immediately afterward, a blade sliced through the wind.
"Tch, sharp senses."
It was Isaac, following directly behind Silverna, who had swung his sword.
So then, what if she aimed for Isaac instead?
'He's still human, after all.'
Even if he'd been acknowledged by Kangwoo, the Sword Demon's father, he was still a man who would die if his neck were broken.
She shifted her aim to Isaac, who was retrieving his sword—
Boom!
"I said I'm right here!"
Silverna's spear blocked her path again, forcefully pushing her back.
After several exchanges of blows, a standoff resumed.
The Blood Demon looked at the man and woman before her and scoffed.
"You, daughter of Caldias—so you're that man's daughter, huh?"
If she wanted to reach Isaac, she would have to break through Silverna.
The Malidan Wall may be gone, but Caldias still stood in its place.
It was as if the little Guardian of Caldias had manifested before her.
"Yeah. If you want to break through, you'll have to kill me."
Silverna straightened her back with confidence.
Even if she were to die, she was certain that in that moment, Isaac's sword would slash down the Blood Demon.
Thus, Silverna focused solely on drawing the Blood Demon's attention or defending.
Her seemingly meaningless thrusts and spear throws were in fact the best defense.
Before the Blood Demon could unleash a full offensive, Silverna disrupted the flow entirely.
"You two are well matched."
The Blood Demon genuinely admired it.
Skill-wise, she rated Silverna below Helmut's Liana.
But in terms of synergy with Isaac, Silverna was far superior.
The woman was a towering wall, and the man a razor-sharp blade.
"I think so too."
Silverna nodded in agreement, resetting her stance with a powerful swing of her spear.
Meanwhile, the Blood Demon reached beneath the banquet table.
"Kh…?!"
What her hand found was none other than Duke Gelamius, the master of the estate.
The Blood Demon still needed to drink blood.
Fortunately, there were plenty of humans here within arm's reach.
She didn't deny that choosing Duke Gelamius was also driven by personal spite.
"Thank you, Duke. I appreciate your noble sacrifice."
"Ghh—! Y-You—!"
Like plucking fruit, her fangs neared the Duke's neck—only for her arm to freeze under a sudden weight.
When she saw her younger brother, Jonathan, clinging to her arm, her eyes flared with killing intent.
"Foolish little brother—!"
"Grhhh! Sorry, but! I'm a knight of Helmut now! Not a Blood Demon!"
The dark red 'Red Aura pouring off of Jonathan's body showed how desperately he tried to stop her vampiric act.
But sadly, his strength wasn't enough.
Despite his resistance, her fangs drew closer and closer to the Duke's neck.
"No!"
Thwack!
To stop her, Jonathan reached out to the Duke's neck—and her fangs pierced into Jonathan's arm instead.
To be blunt, it was the worst possible move.
Even if he was only a half-blood, blood from a fellow Blood Demon gave far more strength than that of a mere human.
However—
"Grrraaaah! My brother—!"
The Blood Demon hastily pulled her fangs from Jonathan's arm and shoved both him and the Duke aside.
And in that instant—
A silver blade swung.
When fighting Sword Ghosts, even the tiniest opening was fatal.
One must never take their eyes off their sword.
For in the blink of an eye, their blade would be upon you.
Grand Iaido.
A straight, silver arc was drawn.
Clack.
As the sound of the blade being sheathed echoed, Isaac exhaled deeply, his waist lowered in a practiced stance.
And as the Blood Demon collapsed like a broken doll, a long sword wound carved into her body—
—her end had come.